Flangeway guard



Dec" 11, 1928.

H. OETTINGER FLANGEWAY GUARD Filed Aug. 192

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR a, QM

ATTORN EY Dec 11, 1928. 1,694,557

H. OETTINGER FLANGEWAY GUARD Filed Aug- 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w ml INVENTOR ATTORNEY HENRY OIETTINGER, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

FLANGEWAY GUARD.

Application filed August 3, 192?.

tween the track rails and to maintain the wheel fiangeway clear from encroachment or obstruction by the paving or fill materials.

An important object of the present invention is to produce an improved flangeway guard structure of simplified construction and having features that. materially contribute to economy in manufacture and installa tion and moreover possessing commercial advantages over the flangeway guards as heretofore employed. I

An important feature of the present improvements comprehends the employment of guard members, consisting of standard rolled sections offering substantial advantages as to economy and facility of installation, in that the guard members maybe readily procured at a given location, thereby facilitating initial installation and likewise the replacementand alteration to suit varied requirements. To this end, and as illustrated, I desirably employ standard rolled channel sections or standard rail sections as the guard members proper and supported by a plurality of brackets of cast steel, cast iron or malleable iron, of a form to have bearing and spacing engagement with the track rail and base supported upon the ties for rigidly securing the guard members in position. As a further feature, I may desirably provide for insulation of the guard member with relation to the track rail for the protection of the track circuit.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of my present improvements will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying-drawings, wherein like reference characters are applied to the corresponding parts in the several views.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of a railway crossing structure made in accordance with the present invention and wherein the paving material is omitted from a portion thereof Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view through the track structure and guard member illustrating the method of supporting the latter;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the improved bracket or supporting member adapted for supporting a guard member of channel section;

Figure 4: is a similar view illustrating a Serial No. 210,240.

suitable modification adapted to provide electric insulation between the rail and guard member and further adapted for use with a canted rail;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view illustrating a further modified structure adapted for the employment of a guard member of standard rail section; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of a bracket member thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein an approved embodiment of the features of my invention is shown, 1 indicates the track rail supported upon the usual ties 2-2 with the usual interposed tie plates 3. The fiangeway guard members are indicated at a, positioned at the inner or flangeway sides of the track rails with their upper surfaces substantially at a level with the running surfaces of the rail head. Asphalt or other paving material, indicated at 5, is filled in between the guard members desirably to the level coincident with the top surfaces of the guard members, and as shown, additional paving or filling material may be placed between the rail and guard members allowing suitable flangeway clearance, as illustrated in Figure 2.

In accordance with the present invention, the flangeway guard members are preferably, as shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, composed of rolled standard sections and are supported in position by means of bracket supporting members 7, formed to have bearing support upon the ties and bearing and spacing engagement with the track rails as shown. The improved bracket members comprise a vertical web or central transverse wall portion 8, having integrally formed there with a base plate extension or flange 9, provided with spike slots 10 and suitably spaced. from the track rail to provide clearance for the usual tie plates 3. The bracket members are formed with suitable openings or slots 11, open upwardly and of a form to receive the guard members of channel section and are provided with lateral flange enlargements conforming to the walls of the opening to reenforce the structure and provide longitudinally enlarged bearings for the channel guard member. At its inner, or track rail, end portion, the bracket member is formed with upper and lower longitudinally enlarged bearing flange portions 13 and 14. formed for engagement with the fishing surfaces and web of the track rail thereby to lend rigidity to the structure and to determine the proper spaced relation between the track rail and guard member.

In the installation of my improved and simplified structure, the desired number of brackets are slipped onto the guard member and are positioned to correspond to the centers oi the ties and then spiked to rigidly secure the guard member in operative position. The extremities of the channel or guard sections are desirably bent into an inwardly liared form, as indicated in Figure 1.

l have accordingly produced a simplified and inexpensive fiangeway structure which may be readily installed and with a further desirable feature 0t. allowing convenient removal of the guard member when maintenance conditions require. Further, and as will be readily appreciated, a substantial practical advantage results from the employment of a guard member of standard rail channel section, in that the latter are generally quickly available at a given location, and may be locally obtained for installation and likewise to meet the conditions of alterations such as in the widening of roadways. The improved form of bracket members as hereinbet'ore referred to, are of a form to be non-interfering or to allow clearance for the usual tie plates when the latter are applied, and in addition, are of a design aiiording enlarged bearing areas, while at the same time having a substantially minimum weight of metal with resulting economy.

As will be understood, the "features of my present improvement are subject to varied modification without departing from the scope of the invention. As illustrative thereof, and as shown in Figure l, a suitable modification. adapted in accordance with a further feature oi my invention to effect the insulation of the track rail from the guard member and the supporting brackets thereof which is desirable for maintaining the track signal circuits through the crossing. As therein shown, fiber insulating memb rs 16 of one piece angular form are interposed between the r spective bracket members and the track rails so as to electrically insulate the rail from the brac :cts. In this modified structure of Figure l, the bracket member is further of a contour, adapting its use to a rail in canted position as shown; the rail being supported upon a lateral inclined tie plate bearing.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is illustrated, a further desirable modification wherein the bracket members 8 are formed with laterally enlarged bearing flanges 17 defining an opening 18 of a form to receive a guard member 19 of a standard rail section, thereby allowing of desirable economy in permitting the use of discarded or old rail sections as to guard members. The bracket or supporting member in this modified structure intes es? cludes a central vertical wall portion inwardly extended and provided with upper and lower bearing enlargements 20-21 for engaging the rail section, and having the laterally enlarged tie plate extension of flange 22 provided with spike apertures 28. The lower bearing flange is extended rearwardly to connect with the base flange 22 and the base portion 1'? ot' the guard member hearing flange 17 is connected with the flanges 21 and 92 by means of reentorcing ribs 24:.

Having described my invention, 1 claim 1. In a track structure the combination with a track rail and a liangeway guard com prising a guard member of standard rolled section and supporting members therefor, consisting of bracket members formed with a bearing opening for the reception of the guard member and having flange bearing portions formed to engage the track rail and a base flange portion adapted for securing the bracket to a tie, and said base flange portion being spaced from the track rail to provide clearance for the usual tie plates.

2. In a track structure the combination of the track rail and a flangeway guard comprising a guard member of standard rolled steel section and supporting members therefor, said supporting members consisting of brackets having a single vertical web portion formed with bearing flange portions and an opening for the reception of the guard member formed to provide clearance for the usual tie plates, substantially as described.

3. In a track structure the combination with a track rail and a flangeway guard comprising a standard rolled structural beam section and supporting members therefor, said supporting members consisting of brackets adapted to be secured to the ties and to provide bearing support for the guard members, said brackets having a single vertical web or wall having flanged bearing enlargements for engagement with the rail tor bearing support upon the tie and for bearing engagement with the guard member respectively.

e. In a track structure the combination with a track rail and a tlangeway guard comprising astandard rolled structural beam section and supportingmembers therefor, said supporting members consisting of brackets adapted to be secured to the ties and to provide bearing support for the guard members, said brackets having a single vertical web or wall having flanged bearing enlargements for engagement with the rail for bearing support upon the tie and for hearing engagement with the guard member respective ly, and said bracket being formed to provide clearance for the usual tie plates.

5. In a track structure the combination with a track rail and a flangeway guard composed of a guard member supported in parallel relation to the track rail and supporting members therefor consisting of brackets adapted to have bearing support upon the tie and formed With bearing openings to receive the guard member and having inner bearing portions and. insulating fiber interposed between said bearing portions and the track rail for insulating the brackets and guard member from said rail, substantially as described.

6. In a track structure the combination with a track rail and a flangeway guard comprising a guard member of standard rolled section and sup orting members therefor,

consisting of brackets having openings for the reception of the guard member and formed with a single vertical Web portion provided With flanged enlargements for bearing engagement with the ties and track rail respectively, and insulating fiber interposed between the rail and bracket bearing portions, substantially as described.

Signed at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, this 13th day of June, A. D. 1927.

HENRY OETTINGER. 

